When talking about global benchmarks, people use the term "global standard." A standard means a norm. A standard is a promise that spans the economy, industry, and technology. Sometimes technological advances make a "standard" necessary, but a single standard can also drive a leap tantamount to a revolution. The National Institute of Technology and Standards and ChosunBiz selected the "top 10 standards that changed the world" and the "top 10 standards that changed the lives and economy of Koreans" based on a survey of experts from industry, academia, research, and the press, and reexamine the role of standards. [Editor's note]
It is no exaggeration to say that the history of humanity is a "history of compression." Distances that once took days on foot can now be covered in a few hours by train and plane, and the contents of dozens of books are stored on PCs and smartphones and read in a few hours. Through these experiences of compressing time and space, humanity has moved on to the next generation.
As computers and digital cameras began to spread in the 1980s, it became important to reduce the size of photo files. That was because photo files were far too large relative to computer storage at the time. In 1982, world-class experts who had studied image compression formed a group. The group was called JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). The image compression standard they created was adopted in 1992 as an international standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
When compressing images with JPEG, some of the image content is lost, but it is almost indistinguishable to the human eye. This technology is called "lossy compression." Thanks to this technology, file sizes can be reduced to less than one-tenth while minimizing image quality degradation. As a result, anyone can easily take and store photos and record and share everyday moments in real time.
Demand for video compression grew after images. In 1998, a group of technical experts under ISO and IEC established MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group), a standard for video and audio compression. By removing data that repeats over time, it enabled high-definition video at low file sizes. The MPEG standard is applied today to all video platforms, including YouTube, online streaming services (OTT), and video conferences.
Most of the files we use today are compressed by default. When you shoot video with a smartphone, it is usually saved as mp4, which is also a compressed file. Without compression technology, today's internet, YouTube, and Netflix might not have been possible.